Prevention and Preparedness for Mass Gathering Disasters: Our Efforts and Successes in Hyogo, Japan

Introduction:Both prevention and preparedness are essential to avoid casualties and deaths in mass gathering disasters (MGDs). What countermeasures should be taken?Method:Retrospective analysis of a MGD at Akashi City Fireworks Festival in 2001; discussion of countermeasures at Kobe Luminarie, an annual light festival to commemorate the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Retrospective analysis of mass casualty incidents (MCIs) between 2003 and 2022 in which the alert function of EMISHP (Emergency Medical Information System in Hyogo Prefecture) was activated. Duration from emergency call to activation of alert function (activation time), number of casualties, and number of destination hospitals were evaluated.Results:More than 200 persons were injured and eleven people died in the Akashi Fireworks crowd crush. The main cause of this MGD was lack of gateway control and one-way flow control of visitors. With such measures in place, no MGD has occurred at Kobe Luminarie. In the past nineteen years in Hyogo, the alert function has been activated for 288 MCIs, such as vehicle accidents and fires. Activation time ranged from 1 to 73 minutes (median value=12). The casualty count ranged from 0 to 662 (median value=5). The number of destination hospitals ranged from 0 to 54 (median value=2). In all cases, emergency medical coordinators at Hyogo Emergency Medical Center, a principal hub hospital for disasters, directly or indirectly contributed to the medical response, e.g. securing hospital capacity, dispatching doctor-attending cars/helicopters and other medical teams to the scene, sharing information on the MCI between fire departments and hospitals.Conclusion:Prevention of MGDs requires taking proactive measures, such as gateway restriction and one-way flow control without bottlenecks. Preparedness is made possible by the alert function of EMISHP; it enables smoother patient transport to hospitals and contributes much in securing sufficient time and resources for medical response in MCIs, including MDGs.